Friday, February 24, 2006

Friday Bonus Round

The plan this morning was to go in and fake my way through 8am calculus (my other class isn't meeting today) and then head out. I'm sort of sick, and a nice day was forecast. Instead, I stayed and cleaned my office.

I decided that filing is for people who are too timid to throw things away. My trashcan is now full. If you are asking me for a copy, it's because you lost yours.

From the blame the students department: Our evaluation forms ask the students to self-report how many hours a week they spend on our courses. One of our faculty members is collecting this data; currently it looks like our students spend 1-2 hours a week outside of class on the homework, studying, whatever. We expect 6-8 hours a week. No wonder they're doing poorly in easy classes.

Grad student came by to see me. One of his student's math journal entries includes a comment that this student's only need for math is "measuring the rope to hang myself with." We are calling the counseling center because there is no good reason NOT to call them when students make such comments in writing.

Sent an email to an office on campus about how we could recruit more good students for one of our classes. It went over well, and the information may end up in the mailing to newly admitted freshmen in the honors program.

It's my secretary's birthday. Dork that I am, I forgot to get her a card.